As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, WyoFile will take a closer look at Wyoming’s contribution to the evolution of American governance for the people and by the people. Who this nation considers a person has expanded since its founding because of the tenacious efforts of activists committed to the ideals laid forth in the Declaration of Independence — that we are all endowed with certain inalienable rights.
Wyoming is known as the Equality State because women here were the first in the nation to secure the right to vote, serve on juries and hold public office. Wyoming’s territorial legislature granted these rights in 1869, 21 years before statehood and a full half-century before the nation ratified the 19th Amendment.
This remarkable history — and Wyoming’s recognition as the Equality State — is cause for celebration as well as curiosity.
Over the next few months, through a series of articles, columns and public events, WyoFile’s project — “America at 250: State of Equality” — will examine Wyoming’s historic role as the Equality State and the degree to which it lives up to the moniker.
Read our ongoing “State of Equality” coverage below.
Wyoming women and America’s ever-evolving democracy
As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, WyoFile will examine the degree to which Wyoming lives up to its moniker as the Equality State.
‘It isn’t sustainable.’ Casper OB-GYN weathers maternity care shortage
Wyoming’s second largest city has gone from six to two obstetricians, a reminder that the state’s maternity care crisis remains acute.
What’s the real story behind Wyoming’s first woman mayor?
A distinct Dayton storefront reveals an important piece of history that columnist Jessica Brauer questions why she didn’t know before.
Letter to a future ancestor
Writing 250 years into the future, writer Dawn Stagner reflects on Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho history since America’s birth.
‘Her Great Hobby’: Wyoming’s suffrage story from 1869-1890
Hardships faced by Wyoming suffragists spurred their tenacious efforts to advance women’s rights, write historians Kylie Louise McCormick and Leslie Waggener.
‘Material Connections’ showcases Wyoming women’s artwork
Wyoming Women’s History House celebrates women artists with new exhibit and workshops.
Are women in agriculture ‘equal’? Yes. No. Sometimes. Maybe.
In a traditionally male-dominated field, women have gained confidence, strength, determination and skill to take on a share of any job, writes Mary Budd Flitner.
Then I breathed freely: A fight for women’s suffrage in Wyoming
Not everyone in Wyoming supported equal rights when it came time for women to vote. Still, Wyoming Territory was the first known place where Black women cast a ballot, writes the WyoHistory.org team.
America at 250: Examining equality through photos
WyoFile invites readers to share what equality means to you through photography.
The project is part of an effort by local newsrooms supported by the American Journalism Project to reflect on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. See coverage from other newsrooms here.